The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner having sterilization and deodorization means in an indoor machine housing to keep the indoor environment comfortable and clean.
An air conditioner having a deodorization capability in an indoor machine housing for improving the comfort of the indoor environment is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H01-169247. The internal structure of the indoor machine housing is shown in FIG. 4A.
In this figure, the indoor machine housing has grilled air intake ports 30 and 31 on the front and upper faces of a box-shaped housing, respectively, and has an air discharge port 32 having a wind vane in the lower part of the front face.
A heat exchanger 33 and an air fan 34 are placed in an air duct extending between the air intake ports 30 and 31 and the air discharge port 32 in the indoor machine housing.
An air filter 35 for removing dust contained in sucked air is placed along the air intake ports 30 and 31 on the inner face of the housing, and deodorization means 36 is provided on the side of the front face of the heat exchanger 33.
As shown in FIG. 4B, the deodorization means 36 comprises a high-voltage generator 36a and a discharge apparatus 36b having a discharge electrode plate, and gives ozone to air that has passed through the air filter 35 to deodorize the air by its oxidative effect.
Since the air conditioner is normally operated while the room is kept closed, it has been required in recent years that not only the air be deodorized, but also airborne microorganisms be removed to keep the indoor environment cleaner, and various germs deposited on the inner face of the indoor machine housing and the heat exchanger be removed when the air conditioner is not operated.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of decomposing and removing odor components contained in air, and effectively removing airborne microorganisms and various germs deposited on the inner face of an indoor machine housing and a heat exchanger.
For achieving the above object, the present invention provides an air conditioner comprising an indoor machine housing having air intake ports on at least the front and upper faces and having an air discharge port in the lower part of the front face, in which heat exchanging means and an air fan are provided in an air duct extending between the air intake ports and the air discharge port in the indoor machine housing, and at least two heat exchangers: one being a front heat exchanger placed on the side of the front face of the housing and the other being a rear heat exchanger placed on the side of the rear face of the housing are provided as the heat exchanging means,
wherein a lamp box having an ultraviolet lamp therein is placed between the upper ends of the front heat exchanger and the rear heat exchanger, the lamp box has an air inlet and an air outlet for letting a part of air sucked from the air intake port into the indoor machine housing pass through the lamp box, and a part of ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp is applied to at least the rear heat exchanger from the air outlet.
According to this, deodorization and sterilization is performed with ultraviolet light in the lamp box, and the ultraviolet light is emitted from the air outlet into at least the rear heat exchanger, whereby various germs deposited on the heat exchanger can be removed.
In the present invention, the front heat exchanger and the rear heat exchanger are preferably tilted so that the upper faces thereof are brought close to each other to form an A-type configuration, whereby the lamp box can stably be placed within a limited space in the indoor machine housing.
In the present invention, ultraviolet light with the waveband of 250 to 260 nm having an effect of removing airborne microorganisms, and ultraviolet light with the waveband of 100 to 220 nm having an effect of decomposing odor components contained in air to deodorize the air are emitted from the ultraviolet lamp. In this case, a first ultraviolet lamp emitting ultraviolet light with the waveband of 250 to 260 nm and a second ultraviolet lamp emitting ultraviolet light with the waveband of 100 to 220 nm may be used in combination.
Also, according to the preferred aspect of the present invention, for improving the structural strength, header plates provided on both sides of the front heat exchanger and the rear heat exchanger are extended, and the lamp box is supported on the extended portion.
For distributing ultraviolet light thoroughly in the lamp box, and preventing deterioration of the material by ultraviolet light, the inner face of the lamp box is preferably plated with a plating solution containing aluminum and zinc. For the similar reason, the lamp box may be made from a stainless steel plate or chrome-plated steel plate.
For applying ultraviolet light to air flowing into the lamp box for a longest possible time, it is preferable that the ultraviolet lamp is placed such that it is shifted to one side in the lamp box, the air inlet is placed such that it is shifted to the side opposite to the ultraviolet lamp, and the air outlet is placed near the ultraviolet lamp.
Also, a cleaning fluid may flow into the lamp box and be accumulated therein when the interior of the indoor machine housing is cleaned with a liquid. In order that the cleaning fluid can easily be removed, it is preferable that the bottom face of the lamp box is a plane inclined downward from one side of the side wall on which the ultraviolet lamp is placed toward the other side of the side wall opposite to ultraviolet lamp, and drainage means is provided on the other side of the side wall.